Ellen W. Freeman, Ph.D., is Research Associate, University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia. A version of this article was presented at NASW Twentieth Anniversary Pro fessional Symposium, Hollywood, Florida, October 1975. Abortion is an aspect of population and disadvantaged, and points to some and human fertility—issues that are examples of social work involvement traditionally in domain of scientists in abortion issue. She argues that and priests, philosophers and kings, skill in social work means more than However, as economic pressures, sorhetorical support for individual cial mores, and political distributions choice. It demands a critical analysis change, issue of abortion is reachof broad social policies that neces ing awareness of broad base sarily affect realities of individual of society. Rapid changes have been choice, taking place in use of abortion by general population. In 1969 CURRENT POLICY legal abortion ratio was 6.3 abortions per 1,000 live births. By 1973—the The right to abortion in this country year in which U.S. Supreme Court was supported by U.S. Supreme legalized abortion—the ratio had inCourt in January 1973, in a decision creased to 195.1, nearly 20 percent that concluded that state laws restrict of frequency of live births.1 In ing abortion deprive a woman of her 1975 approximately one million constitutional rights. The Court ruled women in United States obtained that a state could not intervene in an legal abortions.2 abortion decision between a woman There is evidence that acceptand her physician during first three ance of abortion has also increased, months of pregnancy. The state may In 1968, in response to a question mandate health regulations for abor whether abortion should be permitted tion services between third and when parents already had all chilseventh months of pregnancy, but dren they wanted, Gallup Poll decision for abortion services remains found 15 percent approval. By 1971, solely between woman and in a national survey by Commisphysician. Only after seventh sion on Population Growth, 49 percent month may state assume interest responded affirmatively to a similai in rights of unborn child. In question.3 June 1975 Court further strength In social work, there is new percepened access to information by ruling tion of abortion as a professional conthat First Amendment of Con cern. At 1967 Institute for Family stitution, which protects freedom of Planning, abortion was given little press, cannot restrict advertise attention.4 The institute concluded that ment of abortion services, the complex subjects of abortion . . . Neither government support for deserve some mention here. . . . Areas abortion services nor availability need to be explored . . . systematic of private services have kept pace with study is indicated. The concern, howthe demand for abortion that has fol ever, was for psychiatric justification lowed its legal sanction. The federal of abortion; array of social, ecogovernment decisively entered area nomic, and political issues was largely of birth planning with passage of ignored. By 1971, National Assothe Family Planning Act of 1970, ciation of Social Workers' Delegate which it backed with considerable Assembly had issued a policy statefunding, particularly for low-income ment in support of abortion services, households. However, although a This article will view abortion as broad range of birth control proce a health care service sought by women dures from rhythm method to who are attempting to manage their sterilization are allowed, Family lives effectively. Questions of control Planning Act specifically excludes in abortion services—which denies acabortion as an option, cess to many individuals, particularly The deletion of abortion services poor—are examined. In addition, becomes more conspicuous when one author outlines current status notes that reports of U.S. Depart of abortion policy, indicates several ment of Health, Education, and Wel controversies surrounding implefare (HEW) included abortion as a mentation of this policy for poor method of contraception a decade